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Government of the United States
The government of the United States refers to the national government of the United States, a federal republic in North America composed of 51 states as of 2020. The government is composed of three branches, legislative, executive, and judicial; whose powers are vested in the U.S. Constitution, the Congress, the President, and the federal courts respectively.Home of the Brave, Copyright 1992 R.Talsorian Games, Inc. History The 1996-2008 suspension of the U.S. Constitution by Secretary of Defense Johnathan Seward and the declaration of martial law saw the system of government in the United States drastically changed in Seward's attempt to remove bureaucracy and clean up excess. For the interim (1996-2008), military government districts were declared, and military governors were named to oversee their districts. Each military governor was the leader of a military kampfgruppe, a collection of military units assigned to the same district. Pentagon planners grouped as many disparate units together as possible under the precept that every military control district should have the units necessary to handle any situation or emergency. The workings of the United States Government were returned to civilian jurisdiction in 2008. The Free States The Free States—a new type of state—were created. In 1999, Texas threatened secession from the Union during a row over states' rights and the passage of the Ross Bill. After Alaska jumped on board, the Federal government acceded to the economic pressure against them and established the Free States; states which had a quasi-independent status and greater autonomy with respect to the United States government. As such, state and local laws can be in direct opposition to federal law. Texas was the first Free State in 1999 (officially recognized in 2000), followed by Alaska in 2000, California in 2002, Nevada in 2003, Utah in 2014, and Northern California in 2016. Legislative branch The House of Representatives was eliminated due to there not being an accurate census for over twenty years. Instead, the Senate was expanded. Each state would have three Representatives: one from each of the two largest cities, and one Corporate Representative. The people's representatives are elected in a popular vote. Regional Committees were created out of the military's efforts to create the Combined Operations Groups (COGs). Under this system, different areas of the United States were grouped together along state lines. It was discovered that each region could effectively feed itself, each region contained cultural, political and geographic similarities, and each region could contain a major base for the armed services. Each region has one single member, or Consul on the Committee. The Free States were given a single seat and a Consul, and the representative is chosen by the Free States Board. Instead of being the Pro-Tempore President of the Senate, the Vice President is called the Proconsul. Consuls are elected by popular vote. In order to declare war the President is required to present his case for action to the Regional Committee. If the Committee deadlocks, then the President may appeal to the Senate. Effectively, Regional Committees replaced the myriad of committees that were employed by the old Congress. Consuls serve a term of four years and may not be re-elected. All other elected members of the federal government serve for four years, and may be re-elected for another term. The Free States Board is constructed of two delegates from each free state. They serve a term of two years, and are chosen in state-wide elections. Legislative process A bill is usually proposed by a member of the Senate. It is submitted to the Committee, who are empowered solely to rewrite portions or make changes. Once it is approved by the Committee the bill is voted on by the Senate. A two-thirds majority is required to pass the bill. If the bill passes then the President either signs or vetoes it. There is no "line-item veto;" each bill is a separate item. There is no myriad of additions to kill a piece of legislation. If vetoed, then a bill can be passed by a two-thirds majority in both the Senate and Committee. There is no longer a quorum provision in the legislature. A truly global communications system allows voting from anywhere on any issue. Since 2016, it has been law that more than twelve abstentions in a given year by a Representative will result in removal from office. The other change is the elimination of Congressional "sessions." There is a three day recess for each national holiday. Other than that, the Congress is constantly working. Corporate representative The job of the Corporate Representative in the Senate is to represent all the business concerns of the state. The Corporate Representative is appointed by the corporation that pays the most taxes. It was felt that the inclusion of Corporate Representation would limit the cost-effectiveness of PAC's, however this was not the case. As a result, Political Action Committees (PACS) became as potent a force as ever, and the corporations are seen as coming one step closer to governmental power. Military liaison When martial law was revoked and Regional Committees took over the government of the former martial law regions, the military retained a strong presence in the governmental process. Each Regional Committee has a military liaison—a representative from the military governor's office and often the military governor himself. These liaisons insure that military priorities are represented, as well as improving cooperation between military forces and civilian authorities. Executive branch The Presidency was retained in a limited framework. Though the President still controlled the Executive Branch, all war-making powers were revoked, although any domestic peacekeeping action was fully within their power. Foreign War was only allowed by a vote of the Legislative Branch. The President is elected by the Senate, which acts as the Electoral College. There is still a popular election, in which the populace carry their choice to the state senators, who then carry that choice to Washington. Judicial branch While weakened from the resurgence of states' rights and the Free States, the Supreme Court still exists although with only five justices. Government agencies of the United States The following is a list of government agencies of the United States as of 2020: *Department of State *Department of Defense **Joint Chiefs of Staff ***Inspector-General (all branches) ***Office of Management and Budget ***Defense Administration Research Projects Agency ***Defense Procurement Agency ***Veterans Affairs Bureau ***Office of Military Justice ***Department of Compensation **Military Intelligence Cooperative ***Military Intelligence, Criminal Investigation Divisions **Central Intelligence Agency *Department of Commerce and the Treasury **Treasury Service *Secret Service *Department of Justice **Bureau of Prisons **Special Prosecutor's Office **Federal court system **Federal Marshall's service *Department of Health, Education, and Human Services **National Institute of Health ***Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ***Food and Drug Administration *Department of Energy **Energy Management Cooperative *Department of Agriculture and the Interior *National Aeronautics and Space Administration Defunct government agencies of the United States The following is a list of defunct government agencies of the United States as of 2020: *Federal Bureau of Investigation (officially abolished 1997) *Drug Enforcement Agency (officially abolished 1997) *National Security Agency (officially abolished 2004) *Internal Revenue Service (ceased to exist 1998) References Category:Cyberpunk 2020 Organizations